Taga, Shiga

Coordinates: 35°13′N 136°18′E / 35.217°N 136.300°E / 35.217; 136.300
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Taga
多賀町
Taga town hall
Taga town hall
Flag of Taga
Official seal of Taga
Location of Taga in Shiga Prefecture
Location of Taga in Shiga Prefecture
Taga is located in Japan
Taga
Taga
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°13′N 136°18′E / 35.217°N 136.300°E / 35.217; 136.300
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
PrefectureShiga Prefecture
DistrictInukami
Area
 • Total135.77 km2 (52.42 sq mi)
Population
 (July 31, 2021)
 • Total7,525
 • Density55/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address342, Taga, Taga-chō, Inukami-gun, Shiga-ken 522-0341
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdJapanese bush-warbler
FlowerLilium japonicum
TreeCryptomeria
Taga Taisha Haiden

Taga (多賀町, Taga-chō) is a town located in Inukami District, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 31 July 2021, the town had an estimated population of 7,525 in 2900 households and a population density of 940 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the town is 135.77 square kilometres (52.42 sq mi). Taga developed as a shrine town of Taga Taisha, a major Shinto shrine.

Geography[edit]

Taga is located in eastern Shiga Prefecture, with the eastern part of the town is in the Suzuka Mountains bordering Inabe in Mie Prefecture and Ogaki in Gifu Prefecture. The western part of the town is in the flatlands of the Koto Plains, which extend towards Lake Biwa. The administrative and industrial center of the town is in the west, with the mountainous areas suffering from rural depopulation.The Inukami River flows through the south of the town.

Neighbouring municipalities[edit]

Shiga Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture

Mie Prefecture

Climate[edit]

Taga has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall.

Demographics[edit]

Per Japanese census data,[2] the population of Taga has declined over the past 70 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 9,623—    
1930 9,340−2.9%
1940 8,979−3.9%
1950 11,002+22.5%
1960 10,547−4.1%
1970 9,279−12.0%
1980 9,284+0.1%
1990 9,136−1.6%
2000 8,462−7.4%
2010 7,764−8.2%
2020 7,274−6.3%

History[edit]

The area of Taga was part of ancient Ōmi Province, and the name is listed in the ancient Kojiki chronicle. The area was dominated by the local Taga clan from ancient times into the Sengoku period, and the town itself developed as market town in front of the gates of Taga Taisha, a noted Shinto shrine that was favored by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Taga clan were dispossessed after the Battle of Sekigahara and the region came under the control of Hikone Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The village of Taga was established on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system.Taga merged with the neighboring villages of Seritani and Kyutoku to form the town on Taga on November 3, 1941. The town expanded in 1955 by annexing the villages of Ōtaki and Wakigahata.

Government[edit]

Taga has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 12 members. Taga, collectively with the other municipalities of Inukami District, contributes one member to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy[edit]

Agriculture and forestry has dominated the local economy since ancient times. Manufacturing includes a number of small to medium-sized factories, the largest of which is a bottling plant owned by Kirin Beer and a bakery owned by Fuji Baking Group.

Education[edit]

Taga has two public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school.

Transportation[edit]

Railway[edit]

Ohmi RailwayTaga Line

Highways[edit]

Local attractions[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Taga town official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Taga population statistics
  3. ^ "敏満寺石仏谷墓跡" [Binmanji ishibotoke-dani haka ato] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2020.

External links[edit]